William hoeeocks



(No Model.)

W. HORROGKS.

CABINET FOR TYPE WRITERS. No. 875,819. Patented Jan. 3, 1888.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HORROGKS, OF ILION, ASSIGNOR TO \VYCKOFF, SEAMANS & BENEDICT, OF NENV YORK, N. Y.

CABINET FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,819, dated January 3, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HORROGKS, of Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Cabinets for Type-\Vriters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cabinets for typewriters; and the invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the raising of the hinged top or lid will bring the type-writer up into position for use, and the closing of the top orlid will throw the type-writer down into the interior of the cabinet and at the same time unroll aspring curtain or diaphragm, so as to inclose the ma chine to exclude the dust therefrom, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet closed and arranged to be used as a desk. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section, showing the cabinet opened, with the type-writer in position for use. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section. r

The general form of the bodyAof the cabinet is similar to that described in my previous patent, No. 833,225, and as shown in Fig. 1,

'though this, like all my cabinets, may, if desired, be made without the side drawers, in which case it will simply be that much shorter, and which in some cases is desirable on account of its occupying less space. It is provided with a hinged lid, B, arranged to swing upward, as shown in Fig.2, and which when shut down closes the central space at the top and rests flush with the stationary portions of the top, thereby forming a desk-top for use as an ordinary desk, this top being either inclined, as shown, or flat, if preferred. Within the cavity or central space and below the lid I hinge at its rear edge a shelf or platform, E, as shown in Fig. 2, the hinges e being arranged to permit the front edge of the shelf to swing downward and backward, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The lid B and shelf E are connected by a link, 22, as shown in Fig. 2, so that as the lid is closed the shelf with the machine thereon is swung down to the posi' tion shown by the dotted lines, and when the lid is raised the shelf with the machine is raised to the position shown by the full lines in. Fig. 2. It will, of course, be understood that there will be two of the links I), one at each side of the machine I, asis customary in these cabinets.

In order to close the space under the machine and protect the latter from dust, &c., I provide a flexible diaphragm or curtain, D, of the proper size to reach entirely across the space, as shown in Fig. 3. This curtain,which may be of cloth, oil-cloth, thin leather, rubber cloth, or any suitable flexible material, has one end secured to the front edge of the shelf E, or, preferably, to a cleat or strip on the under side thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, while its opposite end is fastened to a spring'roller, 0, located across the space at the front .of the cabinet, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This springroller may be of any suitable kind, such as is ordinarily used with window-shades, but without any catch, the spring which operates it being shown in Fig. 3. Any other style of spring-roller may be used; but I prefer the style shown, because they can be procured ready-madeand be used without any change, except to leave off the catch. In ordering from the factory they will be furnished without the catch and of the proper length, so there will be nothing to do but to attach the curtain and mount them in position. hen thus arranged, it will be readily seen that as the lid is closed and the machine swung down the curtain will be unrolled and carried along by the front edge of the shelf E as it swings down ward, thus closing the space below the machine and protecting it from dust, &c., the curtain being shown unrolled in Fig. 3 and by the dotted line in Fig. 2. Vhen the machine is brought up into position for use, the springroller will take up the slack of the curtain, as shown in Fig. 2, the rolling and unrolling of .the curtain thus being performed automatically by the movement of the shelf E and spring-roller G.

It is obvious that the curtain might be used to cover and protect the machine when down, without the use of the spring-roller, by simply attaching its front edge to the front rails, c or d; but in that case the curtain would hang or bag down in the way when the machine was raised, and hence I prefer to use the spring-roller or some equivalent means for taking up the slack of the curtain.

I have shown a stationary front rail, d, and

a horizontal strip, 0, over the same, which serve to partiallyinclose the spring-roller and curtain, and also as a support or rest for the front edge of the lid B when closed, the lid being provided at its front edge with a strip, 6, which rests on the strip a when the lid is closed, as shown in Fig. 3 and also in dotted lines in Fig. 2. These details of construction may be varied at the will of the manufacturer'without departing from the spirit of my invention-as, for instance, the strip 0 and'd, either or both, may be omitted, and the lid B be supported by brackets or blocks secured to the side walls in front of the roller, or by having its sides beveled or made to lap and rest on the correspondingly-shaped edges of' the stationary portions of the top, as will'be readily.

understood by any mechanic skilled in the art. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination, in a cabinet for typewriters, of the hinged lid B, the shelf E,'hinged at its rear edge and pivotally connected to the lid by links b, and a flexible curtain, D, having one end connected to the shelf B and its opposite end secured at the front of the cabinet, whereby said curtain is made to close the space underneath the machine when the latter is thrown down out of position for use, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a cabinet for typewriters, of the hinged shelf E, the curtain D, and spring-roller C, said parts being arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a type-writer cabinet, of the body A, with the lid B and shelf E hinged thereto and pivotally connected by e links, the curtain D, spring-roller O, and front rails, c d, all arranged to operate substantially 0 as and for the purpose set forth.

\VILLIAM HORROCKS.

\Vitnesses:

A. W. HASLEHURST, O. L. AVERY, Jr. 

